Shipping device



Oct. 25, 1932. L 1, MCSWEENEY SHIPPING DEVICE.

Filed Aug. 6, 1931 2 Sheets-511961l l Il). Q

31a/manto@ Oct. 25, 1932. L. J. MCSWEENEY SHIPPING DEVICE Filed Aug. 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aol Patented Oct. 25, 1932 PATENT OFFICE LEWIS J. MCSWEENEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN SHIPPING DEVICE Application filed August 6, 1931,. Serial No. 555,459.

rl'his invention relates to shipping devices and more particularly to a knock-down box or crate, which upon reaching itsdestination can be easily and quickly disassembled for storage or return to the shipper lin compact form for further use.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a packing case which isA simple in design, inexpensive to build and use, and easy to handle, assemble and disassemble.

Another object is to provide a box made up of a number of separabler sectionsor wall units which can be readily fitted together and held in assembled relation without the use of nails or other fastenings which would tend to mutilate or otherwise cause damage to parts, particularly when the box is taken apart. Y

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent 'from an inspection of the accompanying drawings when taken in connection with the following description;

In the drawings, Figure l is a view showing in perspective the several wall units of i a partly assenibledbox'; Figureis a perspective view of the box completely assem- Cil Liol

bled; Figure 3 is a view showing in perspective several units of another form of box partly assembled; and Figure a is a perspective view showing the parts of FigureS in final assembly.k

As will be evident from thedrawings, the invention in a preferred but not necessarily the only embodiment thereof contemplates i the provision of a. series of separable'wall sections or sub-assembly units, certain of whichY carry-shouldered seats or other suitable locating vor bearing portionsfor interlocking ene gagement with co-operative mating bearing portions of other of the units to interlock the several units one with another, and prevent their relative shifting and collapse when brought together, and the use of tensioned bands or hoops surrounding the assembly in I different directions to bind the units together and hold them in assembled relation, such tension elements being the sole means of tying the units against separation.

In a crate of this type, the tension bands take practically all of the strain and carry the load, while the walls serve principally as -a protective enclosure for the articles 0r merchandise to be shipped. As distinguished from conventional shipping boxes made up of a number of boards individually nailed together and which is usually torn apart and destroyed when it is unpacked, the present box being made up of preassembled wall units on all sides can be put together quickly at the point of shipment by simply selecting the proper wall sections, which may be kept on hand in numbers, and placing them about the part or parts to be shipped and then binding the walls by the encircling tie elements, and the box can be just as easily taken apart upon reaching its destination by simply cutting or severing at any point, the en circling hoops, whereupon the wall units areimmediately freed for separation, one from another, with no necessity for forcing or prying them apart. The tie bands being inexpensive items may be discarded after a single use, but the wall units not having been mutilated or injured in any fashion, by fastenings, nails, forced separation, or otherwise, may be used over and over again. In the event they are to be returned to the shipper or otherwise transported from-place to place or placed in storage for further use they are, of course, packed in disassembled or knockeddown form so as to occupy a minimum of storage space. In lmocked-down form, each unit is avfiat plate-like part with no projections or other obstructions to interfere with compact stacking.

v The case shown in Figures l and 2, has six sides or wall units, including a pair of end, walls A-A, top and bottom units B-B and two side walls C-C. Ilachof these units may consist of wooden boards or other suitable material separately assembled into the complete section. Each side `unit `C--C is shown as comprising three boards l extending longitudinally of the box in edge to edge relation, with a pair of cross pieces 2 connecting the boards by nailing or the like and seating within rabbeted portions on opposite ends of the boards so that the exposed surfaces of the cross members lie flush with adjacent surfaces of the longitudinal boards.

As in the case of these side units, the top and bottom wall units B-B are preferably duplicates, each consisting of a number ofY boards 3, preferably extending longitudinally of the box and held together by cross pieces 4 to which they are nailed, three of such cross piecespbeing shown in the drawings, oneat each end and one at an intermediate point. Overlapping the'endmost board 3 on each side is a strip 5, whose outer edge projects beyond the outer edge of the board it overlaps, and provides thereby a shouldered seat to receive an adjacent edge of one of the side wall units. The two end units A-A arefalso, by preference, identical to each other, and each is shown as consistingof a number of vertical boards 6 nailed side by side to a pair of 'cross pieces 7 'proj ecting along the top and bottom of the wall. Y The inner face of the assembled boards is rabbeted along all four edges to provide receiving seats for all four sides of the box, to locate such side walls as well as the end wall itself. The several wall units A-A, B-B and C-C are thus interlocked against any relative shifting movement by reason of the interfitting adjacent edge portions thereof. To hold these walll units against separation, use may be made of a series of encircling hoops or bands 8 of wire or strip stock which encircles the assembly in different directions, each of which may be drawn tightly about the assembly and then secured by any suitable interlock between its ends. Under the hoops Where they'bend around the box corners, it

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will be found desirable to employ angle plates 9V to distribute the tensioning stresses and Y protect the marginal edges of the box walls from injury.

The box above described has been designed and'is particularly adaptable for shipping plate glass, although its use is in no way limited. When the box is to'be used for shipping plate glass, forexample, six'wall units are first selected and then the bottom/wall unit B is placed flat on the floor or other suitable support and is preferably covered with straw, excelsior or other packing, upon which is rested a series of superposed vglass plates, the bulk of which is'slightly smaller Vthan the interior dimensions of the box. The side walls C-C'and end walls A-sA are then tional hoops 8 are passed around the side,

walls and top and bottom wall units. Any

number of encircling hoops may be employed,

depending upon the size of the shipping case i and general conditions. For example, one or more additional hoops may be encircled about the top and bottom and end wall units. As thus banded, the box is ready for shipment and may be lifted and carted away, but in such'handling the load and strain is taken principally by the banding rather than the Wall units, and the wall units serve mainly as a protective casing for the box contents. As heretofore indicated snipping of the hoops at any'point of their length permits theirY removal andthe immediate separation of the wall units from each other for access to the box contents, and since there are no anchorage connections between the walls to be broken or torn apart, the walls remain undamaged and in good condition for reuse.

The principle involved may be extended and applied to shippingcases for handling goods and merchandise of various kinds. For example, the invention will be found to be particularly useful for the crating of furniture or like articles lhaving a surface iinish, which must be protected against marring or scratching. In this connection it may be mentioned that manufacturers of porcelain coated refrigerators have had considerable difliculty in safe shipment of their product, inasmuch as the porcelain coating tends to crack or chip off whenever any undue strains or stresses are imposed upon the panel carrying such surface finish. Much of the trouble heretofore experienced with the shipment of these refrigerators has been overcome by the use of a crate made in accordance with the present disclosure. f Y l A crate for this purpose is shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings as including a pair ofduplicate topy and bottom wall units D--D Vand four side wall units E-E and F-F, those ,opposite each other being identical and interchangeable. In the case of the side wall units E-E, there is involved ka series of vertically extending slats 10 shown as being spaced apart and secured together byA cross pieces 11 to which they are nailed. Each of these cross pieces 11 exten ds laterally beyond the two end slats 10 and the `cross pieces adjacent the top and bottom are set inwardly of the ends of the slats to provide aV shoulder or bearing portion for an adj acent end wall D--D. The remaining two side units AF--F also consist of vertically extending slats 12 nailed to cross pieces 13, but in this case the cross pieces 13 end short of the` marginal edges of the outermost slats 12 to form seats which receive the ends of the cross pieces 11y of the adjacent side units E-E to locate the several sides relative to each other. Here again the top and bottomcross pieces13 end short of the slat ends to receive the adjacent end units D-D. Each top and bottom or opposite end unit D-D is shown as comprising a rectangular frame made up of spaced sills 14lto which are nailed the cross pieces 15, who-se side and ends are spaced inwardly from the sides and ends of the sills thereby providing seats for engagement with the side units. A sheet 16 of veneer, cardboard or the lilre may be interposed between the cross pieces 15 and sills 1a' and close the space within the frame. The sills 14e may according to choice, carry a series of angle members 17 which project beyond the inner face thereof and cooperate with the cross pieces 15 in forming a channel or groove to receive the adjacent ends of the side units E-ii and F F to better locate the same. On the inner side of each sill l-l is secured ay pair of blocks 18 in spaced relation to the cross pieces 15 for cooperation therewithv to form ways or guides in which are received bars or lrey members 19 secured to the refrigerator cabinet at its top and bottom. These key members 19 may be nailed to the upper frame of the cabinet, after the top porcelain covered panel has been removed. lt may be mentioned that some refrigerators have a removable top panel which facilitates packing. rlhe lower bars 19 may be nailed to the refrigerator frame on th underside thereof or in some cases may be simply held in place by dowels that project into caster stem openings. Encircling hoops 2O are relied upon to hold the several wall units in assembly.

To place the refrigerator cabinet in the casing, the bars 19 are first secured in place and then the cabinet is lowered on the bottom unit D so that the bars or lrey members fit into the ways provided between the cross pieces 15 and blocks 18. The several side units are then placed about the cabinet in interiitting rela.- tion to each other and the lower unit and then the top unit D is dropped into place in interfitting relation with the several side walls and the upper lrey members 19. The assembly is then rea-dy for banding in the manner before referred to. It should be noted that the use of the angle members 17 eliminates the need for bands around the four side units at the top and bottom, although, of course, additional banding could be used around the sides either with or without the angles. lt will be obvious that the crating of a refrigerator cabinet in this fashion eliminates any positive connection between the crate and the cabinet so that the cabinet in eifect floats in the crate, and for this reason the porcelain covered panels are freed from the imposition of such stresses as would tend to crack or chip the finish.

I claim:

1. A. collapsible returnable shipping case comprising a series of separable rwall units, locating means on certain wall units for engagement with adjacent units to prevent inward collapse of the assembly, and tension hoops encircling` the assembled units in different directions and being the sole means for holding the respective units against outward separation from one another whereby removal of said elements frees the units for immediate separa-tion.

2. A shipping case including a series of separable wall units which include four sides and two ends, each wall providing on its interior a smooth unbroken surface from end to end and each marginal edge of the end units having a rabbeted offset to engage adjacent edges of the side units to locate all the units relative to each other, shoulder portions along opposite edges of two of the side units to engage adjacent edges of the other two of vthe side units to locate the side units relative separable wall units which include four sides,.-

and two ends, shoulder portions at each marginal edge of the end units to engage adjacent edges of the side units to locate all the units relative to yeach other, shoulder portions along opposite edges of two of the side units to engage adjacent-edges of the other two of the sideunits to locate the side units relative to each other, and a series of tension hoops, which include a band encircling the end units and one pair of side units and another band encircling the four side units, said tension hoops serving as the sole means for holding said units against outward separation.

ll. A shipping case, including a pair of end walls, at least one of which is provided with a way to receive a loca-ting projection on the article to be encased, and a series of side walls extending between said end walls, interiitting location members between adjacent edges of the several walls, and a plurality of tension hoops encircling the assembled walls to maintain the walls in assembled relation` certain of said hoops extending in planes at right angles to other hoops.

5. A shipping case including a plurality of casing walls having adjacent edges in unattached abutment, to provide a box-like vstructure, and a series of bands encircling the boxlike structure in planes at right angles to each other to hold the walls against outward separation and being free of any connection with the walls.

6. A shipping case comprising a series of A'walls adapted for assembly in an abutting relation which holds the walls against inward collapse while leaving each wall free for independent outward separation, and a series of hoops encircling the assembly in dierent directions to hold all of said walls against outward separation, said hoops being the sole means for maintaining the assembled relation.

y7. In combination-With an article to be shipped, provided with key devices, of a pair of oppositely disposed'casing Walls having ways to receive said key devices, a series of "5 casing Walls enclosing the article With adjacent edges in abutment With each other and WithV the first mentioned Walls to limit in.

ward movement of the Walls, and a series of compression bands encircling the assembly 1;* and being the sole means to prevent outward separation of the Walls, at least one of said bands extending in a plane angular to that of another. Y

Y 8. kA six sided enclosure for protecting a plate glass shipment, including a bottom Wall adapted to receive thereon in succession a layer of packing material and the plate glass to be shippecha pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, each adapted to be brought in- 29 Wardly into contact With packing beside the glass and into abutting edge to edge relation with the bottom Wall, a compression band encircling the side and end Walls to prevent their outward separation and hold the pack- 2|y ing under pressure, a top Wall overlying packing material on the upper side of the glass and abutting at its edges the adjacent edges of the side and end Wall, and a compression band encircling the bott-om, side and 30 top Walls to compress the packing and hold the Walls against outward separation, the tension of said bands being the sole means for supporting the load in all directions.

' In testimony whereof I a'liiX my signature.

; LEWIS J. MCSIVEENEY. 

